n the Continental
States, there is no inducement for industrial enterprise; and
projectors are commonly obliged to offer their discoveries to some
Government, and to so licit their encouragement. I need hardly add
that scarcely ever is an invention brought to maturity under such
circumstances. The well-known fact, that almost every invention seeks,
as it were, refuge in England, and is there brought to perfection,
though the Government does not afford any other protection to inventors
beyond what is derived from the wisdom of the laws, seems to indicate
that the Continent has yet to learn from her the best manner of
encouraging the mechanical arts. I had my full share in the ordinary
disappointments of Continental projectors; and after having lost in
Germany and Russia upwards of two years in fruitless applications, I at
last resorted to England."[1]

After arriving in London, Koenig maintained himself with difficulty by
working at his trade, for his comparative ignorance of the English
language stood in his way. But to work manually at the printer's
"case," was not Koenig's object in coming to England. His idea of a
printing machine was always uppermost in his mind, and he lost no
opportunity of bringing the subject under the notice of master printers
likely to take it up. He worked for a time in the printing office of
Richard Taylor, Shoe Lane, Fleet Street, and mentioned the matter to
him. Taylor would not undertake the invention himself, but he
furnished Koenig with an introduction to Thomas Bensley, the well-known
printer of Bolt Court, Fleet Street. On the 11th of March, 1807,
Bensley invited Koenig to meet him on the subject of their recent
conversation about "the discovery;" and on the 31st of the same month,
the following agreement was entered into between Koenig and Bensley:--

"Mr. Koenig, having discovered an entire new Method of Printing by
Machinery, agrees to communicate the same to Mr. Bensley under the
following conditions:--that, if Mr. Bensley shall be satisfied the
Invention will answer all the purposes Mr. Koenig has stated in the
Particulars he has delivered to Mr. Bensley, signed with his name, he
shall enter into a legal Engagement to purchase the Secret from Mr.
Koenig, or enter into such other agreement as may be deemed mutually
beneficial to both parties; or, should Mr. Bensley wish to decline
having any concern with the said Invention, then he engages not to make
any use of the Machi